1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ticket processing machine used for automatic fare adjustment, for example, due to changing trains in a station.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ticket processing machine of this type includes a ticket port formed in a front portion of the machine body, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Disclosure (kokai) No. 57-29195. If a used ticket is put into the machine through the ticket port, the ticket is detected by a detector. As a result, the shutter positioned behind the ticket port is opened, and an intake roller is moved to the ticket port to take in the used ticket. Then, the ticket is conveyed along a transfer path, and the information recorded in the back surface of the ticket is read out by a magnetic reading apparatus.
Paper fed from a roller is cut into a ticket of a predetermined size, the ticket is moved into a printing apparatus and the information read out from the used ticket is printed on the new ticket. Then, the new ticket is forwarded into a magnetic writing apparatus and the required information is printed on the back surface. Further, the new ticket is issued as a fare-adjusted ticket from the ticket port.
The used ticket, from which the information has been read out, is moved back and guided into a recovery box by a guide mechanism.
In the prior art described above, however, the shutter and the guide mechanism are independently arranged and individually operated, leading to a complex mechanical structure, a low reliability and a high operating cost.